Arranged Marriage to My Enemy? Holy Shit!

The guys who'd brought me in from the truck carried Jack and myself to a room blind folded. I knew K12's hideout like the back of my hand, even while being carried around. But it didn't matter to me in any way, shape, or form whether we were blind folded or not. That wasn't my concern at the moment. I was still pissed off about Jack's conditon, the fact that Marci had hit me, and even more pissed off at the fact that Ricky had spit on me. Never in a million years did I think my capture and return would cause Ricky to spit on me and tell me I was lower than scum. I could feel pain deep in my chest but I ignored it. There was no point in torturing myself with the fact of it now. There were more important matters to attend to.

The guys set Jack and I down on a couch and unbound us, directing us not to take off the blind folds until we'd heard the door close. I didn't need to see someone's face in order to identify who they were. The way they walk and the way their voice sounds is good enough for me.

As soon as Jack heard the door shut, he ripped off both of our blind folds, glaring at me. I looked him in his eyes and saw the hurt and betrayal he felt. I wasn't surprised. Part of Jack probably felt like I should have protected him by telling him what he wanted to know and thought I should have taken precautions to prevent all of this from happening.

Well, news flash for him: I wasn't perfect and I couldn't see the future.

For a long time Jack and I didn't say anything. We just looked at each other, examening our wounds and the state of our clothes. Jack could tell that something was different about me, he just couldn't quite put his finger on it without asking me. I didn't want to talk about anything like that in the living room. Ricky had said that the only place that didn't have cameras was the bathroom. That's where I planned to talk to Jack about anything vital.

Finally, I broke the ice first by speaking. "Can you walk?" He shrugged and answered my by trying to get up. He favored one leg, and when he tried to take a step he nearly fell over. I grabbed him and half carried him to the bathroom. Ricky had decided to put us in an apartment designed to be a studio. The bathroom was at the back of the dining room. Jack used everything in his path to grab on to it in order to help him walk. K12 had really done a number on him.

Once we got to the bathroom I helped Jack sit on the toilet seat and searched for wash cloths and bandages. There was a small linen closet in the back of the bathroom. I found what I needed there and returned with the items, setting them on the counter. Jack watched my every move and only began to speak when I started to take his clothes off.

"I always knew you wanted to take my clothes off. Now you have the privaledge," He chuckled, grimacing as I pulled down his shorts. At least one of us could muster up a joke. Even though I still didn't know where Jack and I stood, I was glad that his spirit hadn't been destroyed. Only would fuel the burning anger I had at the injuries K12 had caused. The damage done to him was worse than I had thought. I threw his shorts in the trash and started a bath. I looked at Jack expectantly to take off his boxers.

"Look, you can't get in the bath with them on. They have blood all over them. I'd leave the room and wait for you to get in the bath but you can barely walk. So just let me take them off without your bitching okay?" Jack gave me one of his signature smirks but other wise nodded his head. Oddly enough he was being compliant. It seemed like both of us had changed whilke we'd been away from one another. Neither was a surprise though. Jack had been alone with K12 and I with Ricky. Those two instances alone could change anybody.

It took me quite some time to get Jack's boxers off of him because the injuries to his legs were so extensive. I looked for a pair of scissors so I could cut them off but found none, not that I expected to find any anyway. K12 would give us nothing but the bare necessities in this apartment. Anything more and it was deemed merciful.

"Ouch, Rain, be careful, you're handling expensive merchandise here." I ignored him and continued to slowly worked his boxers off of him. By the time I was done the bathtub was full. My eyes couldn't help but wander to Jack's manhood as I helped him get up and get in the tub. He was extremely well endowed. I began to blush a little bit and I could tell that Jack noticed I was admiring him, which only enflated his ego but caused him to blush as well. Who would have thought complete enemies would make each other blush.

I lower Jack in to the bath and grabbed a washcloth and some soap and began cleaning him, making sure to get all the blood that I saw was visible. While I cleaned his face and shoulders he spoke.

'What took you so damn long?" I hesitated with telling Jack the truth, but what he'd said earlier kept ringing in my head...in a marriage no secrets should be kept...Plus, if we were both going to get out of here unscathed Jack and I were going to need to be able to trust each other. Telling him the truth would show him good faith. You had to give to receive.

So, I told him everything. I even told him my thoughts at the time when everything happened. It didn't exacly come out as word vomit, but like I was telling a best friend something in a calm, controlled voice. When I was done spilling the beans I wasn't exactly sure how Jack felt or what he was thinking. He just sat in the tub after I was done cleaning him staring at the water. He didn't start saying anything to me until it was time for him to get out and get cleaned up.

"That's...a lot Rain. I could tell that something was different, that something was off, but I just couldn't place my finger on it. I understand why you did what you did. Although..."

He grew quiet and I grew nervous. Jack was different too. He was being nicer and more understanding, like I was seeing a side of him that I never got to see. After all, all of our encounters over the years have been mean and violent. We'd never had a reason to be anything else to each other.

"What?"

Jack took a deep breath before he finished what he had to say. "I didn't understand before K12 kidnapped me and beat me to a bloody pulp, I now kind of do. I can get why you are the way you are, er, were. However, as for the unknown feelings about dickhead and myself, I have really no clue on what to say. I have a confession to make, but I don't think you'd like hearing it..."

Oh shit, Jack was getting soft and emotional on me. Part of me yearned to hear what he had to say. All this time, did Jack really not hate me as much as I had originally thought? Or was it all in my head and he was about to tell me that he still felt the same way and loathed my existience? Either was a possibility with Jack. He as unpredictable at best. I nodded that I wanted to hear it and waited for him to continue. I didn't trust my voice not to crack.

"I...part of me has learned to hate you over the years because of what you've done to me, all of it I believe is well deserved because of what I did to you and what your life has turned out to be. But the part of me that just sees you, your personality, the way you look, the way you are...that part of me doesn't hate you at all. I mean, I'm not saying that I want to jump in to a relationship with your or anything or that I accept this marriage any more than you do, I'm just saying that if we could ever not be enemies...we could probably get to be very close friends..."

Jack trailed off after that, watching me as I rubbed oinment on his wounds and bandaged him up. I was utterly shocked and stunned at what he'd just said. He'd completely caught me off guard. Never in a million years did I ever expect Jack Daniels to utter any of those words to me. And yet here he was, sitting naked on the toilet seat while I bandaged him up, spilling probably one of his deepest secrets to me. Part of me felt the same way. The part that still held the grudge against him hated that what he'd said appealed to me. Fighting and hating and loathing Jack took up a lot of energy that I would need in the uncoming battles we still had to fight together.

No, no, no, I wasn't saying that I was feeling this way because it was a ploy to gain his trust in order for my plan to work. I was saying that it was...a relief that I didn't have to be so guarded or hostile towards him anymore, that Jack was showing me a sign of good faith like I had showed him.

Our new relationship had taken on a whole new dynamic that I never thought it would be able to reach. I began to smirk. K12 and Ricky included didn't think Jack and I would ever be like this with each other. This could work to our advantage.